


Nothing Can Keep Me From Loving You

by madlysanecatlady



Series: Gladnis Valentine's Day [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Gladnis, M/M, Valentine's Day, mention of self harm, mention of suicidal thoughts, nothing graphic or explicit though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-03
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-12 23:45:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13558104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madlysanecatlady/pseuds/madlysanecatlady
Summary: Gladio notices that Ignis seems upset lately, seemingly stemming from Valentine's day approaching. He really doesn't expect why, but sure isn't about to let it change how he sees his favourite person in the world.





	Nothing Can Keep Me From Loving You

**Author's Note:**

> Yep, I’m answering [ my own Prompts.](http://madlysanecatlady.tumblr.com/post/170439296574/gladnis-valentines-day-prompts) Might as well get the ball rollin’.
> 
>  
> 
> **The Prompt is:**  
>  _Ignis is in a really bad mood lately and Gladio asks him what’s wrong. Ignis tells him Valentine’s Day marks the anniversary of something horrible that happened to him. Gladio wants to make him feel better._
> 
>  
> 
> There's some glossed-over self-harm mentions in this, so if that bothers you, I won't be offended. But yes, not overtly mentioned in that it's a tough topic for me.

‘Hey, has Iggy seemed to be in a bad mood lately?’ Gladio asked Noctis as they picked up the variety of wooden weapons Noctis had been trying out during their training session.

‘Huh? What do you mean?’ Noctis looked up at him curiously.

‘He’s just been really quiet this week,’ Gladio shrugged, stowing the collection of wooden blades in their correct places in the weapons’ locker. ‘And if I ask him about it he just sort goes quiet for a minute before changing the subject.’

‘Hm, now you mention it, he did get snippy with one of the maids the other day when she asked him what his plans were for Valentine’s day,’ Noctis looked thoughtful. ‘Maybe he got turned down or something. But… it’s kinda hard picturing Ignis taking time away from working to try and ask anyone out…’

Gladio shrugged. ‘Maybe. You think there’s something we can do to cheer him up?’

‘You’d have to know what upset him first, wouldn’t you? Anyways, I gotta go meet up with Prompto; I promised. Good luck on the Ignis situation,’ Noctis waved over his shoulder as he hurried out of the training hall. Gladio sighed and headed to the locker room to shower and change before he would go and track down Ignis to try and figure out what was going on with him.

He made his way up to Ignis’ office in the upper levels of the Citadel twenty minutes later. He was about to knock on the door to announce his presence when he heard a pair of voices inside.

‘I know I say it every year, but I _am_ sorry about how everything turned out,’ Ignis’ voice sounded sad, or in the very least thick with some sort of unhappy emotion.

‘Ignis, don’t you _dare_ try and apologise again for us moving to the city,’ Gladio recognised the sound of Ignis’ mother’s voice. ‘Your father and I are beyond pleased to be here, and we wouldn’t change any of it for the world.’

‘Yes, but your families, and friends, and everyone were left behind,’ Ignis sounded frustrated. ‘And it’s becoming more and more difficult to be able to return and visit them.’

‘That isn’t your burden to bear, darling,’ Ignis’ mother sounded closer to the door. ‘ _Promise_ me you’re going to at least _try_ and cheer up a little? Why don’t you spend some time with your lovely friend or something? He usually puts a beautiful smile on your face.’

‘Perhaps,’ Ignis sounded closer as well. ‘It’s been wonderful to see you, mother. Thank you for the visit.’

‘Any time to see my baby,’ Gladio heard a hand on the door handle and scrambled to look like he was just arriving instead of eavesdropping. She opened the door as Gladio made a show of walking up to the door and smiled. ‘Good afternoon, Gladiolus. It’s wonderful to see you again.’

‘And you, Mrs. Scientia,’ Gladio smiled down at her. ‘Don’t let me interrupt your visit; I can come back later.’

‘Oh no, it’s fine,’ she shook her head. ‘I have to be on my way now. Ignis is all yours.’

‘Goodbye, mother,’ Ignis waved as she set off down the hall before turning to Gladio. ‘Noct’s training is all done for the day?’

‘Yep, he’s off to meet his friend; they’re doing that sleepover or whatever this weekend,’ Gladio shrugged. ‘That Prompto kid’s a good influence, I think. They’ll be fine. What’s up with you?’

‘Just submitting the last few online forms for Noct’s new school year next year,’ Ignis shrugged, leading the way back into his office and sinking down at his desk to get back to work. Gladio was content to just sit with him for a while before he couldn’t contain his curiosity any longer.

‘Hey Iggy?’

‘Hmm?’ Ignis barely glanced up from his computer.

‘What’s going on with you this week? You seem really upset. And I mean, if I knew what was wrong, maybe I could make you feel a bit better.’

Ignis shook his head. ‘I appreciate the sentiment, Gladio, but there’s really nothing to do.’

‘Seriously, Iggy,’ Gladio rolled his eyes. ‘What’s up? Even just talking about it might help a bit.’

Ignis sighed. He took a moment to finish submitting the last form before closing his laptop and finally looking up at Gladio. ‘Back with I lived in Tenebrae with my parents when I was almost ten years old, my school had a Valentine’s day exchange. Now, I had known for as long as I knew people were attracted to each other that I was gay, and well, we tend to be able to find our own. So I received a lovely gift from another boy in my class. He was very sweet. The rest of my classmates were… less so.’

‘Iggy, were you bullied?’ Gladio frowned. He hated the idea of a young Ignis helpless at the hands of schoolyard bullies.

‘He received the brunt of the torment,’ Ignis shook his head. ‘I was allowed the benefit of having received it, not given it. They went for the _sure thing_ as it were, in choosing their target. Things are… well, rather ass-backward in rural and even sub-urban Tenebrae when it comes to such things. Those children were merciless. That poor boy wouldn’t have made it through alive if his parents hadn’t cared about him enough to move him away from there.’

‘Is that how you wound up here?’ Gladio had never really thought to ask why Ignis’ parent had immigrated to Insomnia with him; but now he was sensing there was _quite_ the story behind it.

Ignis nodded. ‘Essentially, in the simplest of terms. My mother returned home one day to find me sobbing in my bedroom with a collection of notes from that boy… and a collection of poisonous herbs. You know how mothers usually tend to know all about their children? Well, she knew instantly why I was crying, and she knew what I was considering. She knew what I was, and she knew what that meant for me; I would need to hide it, or I would suffer like he had. She spoke to my father that night and they decided the best thing for all of us was to leave Tenebrae. My father found a job here in the Crown City and moved us all without second thought. I am eternally grateful to them for all they have done to me, even at such high personal cost to themselves; I know it can’t have been easy to pick up and leave their entire lives and families behind. But they did it all for me. It’s still difficult for me to accept their assurances that they have no regrets, even so long afterwards.’

‘Iggy,’ Gladio didn’t have words, so he simply stood up and went around the desk to tug Ignis up and into a tight hug. ‘I’m _so_ sorry you had to go through that. Is that what’s been bugging you all week?’

Ignis nodded and sank gratefully into the embrace. ‘There’s still a bit of the self-loathing that resurfaces every year around this time. My parents risked and sacrificed so much to give me the chance to be myself and love whomever I want, but here I am wasting that as I work my life away. I’ve gotten better at dealing with it all in less destructive fashions, but the guilt at tearing my parents away from their lives still rears its ugly head.’

Gladio pulled away to look down at him carefully. ‘Iggy, what do you mean by _less destructive_ ways of dealing with it?’

Ignis shrugged and said nothing, but spoke volumes in his careful silence. He sighed, knowing Gladio knew what he wasn’t telling him. ‘I don’t anymore.’

‘That’s why you have that thing about not rolling up your sleeves too high, or taking off your shirt,’ Gladio finally understood some of Ignis’ more perplexingly prudish behaviours. He pulled him back into a hug, wishing he could just squeeze the hurt right out of him.

‘I’ve never told anyone before,’ Ignis mumbled into Gladio’s shoulder. ‘It’s… heartening to know you don’t think less of me now you know.’

‘Iggy, _never_ ,’ Gladio rubbed gentle circles into Ignis’ back. ‘If anything I think less of _myself_ for never realising how much you’ve been hurting.’

‘How could you?’ Ignis pulled back to look at him seriously. ‘I mean it when I say I’ve never told anyone. I’ve been very careful to keep it all very close to my chest. I suppose all the stress with Noct and my duties has just been making me slip up a little.’

‘You can tell me anything,’ Gladio told him quietly. ‘No matter what, Iggy, I’m here for you. I’ll do whatever’s in my power and then some to keep you smiling.’

Ignis looked at him carefully for a moment before standing up on tiptoes to press a small, tentative kiss to Gladio’s lips. He pulled away when Gladio did not move, frozen in apparent shock, and frowned. I’m sorry, I just thought –’

He was cut off by Gladio leaning down to claim his lips in a sweet, tender kiss. Ignis felt his heart soar as  Gladio’s arms wrapped tightly around him to pull him closer; he had dreamed of this for a while now, wishing the handsome Shield would return his feelings, but never imagining he actually _would_.

All too soon Gladio pulled away to smile down at him. ‘This isn’t quite how I pictured kissing you for the first time, but… _shit_. That’s kind of a high.’

Ignis chuckled appreciatively. ‘It’s not what I pictured either but… I don’t think I’d change it for anything. Knowing you still want me, even knowing all my… _baggage_ , well, it’s more than I ever could have asked for.’

‘Aw Iggy,’ Gladio ruffled his hair. ‘Nothing could ever stop me loving you.’

Ignis pulled him down into another kiss, feeling as though he could float into the sky he was so happy. He had never pictured himself being so happy, and certainly not at this time of year. But really, if anything had even a hope of making it happen, it was this. And really, Gladio was right. Nothing, not a single damned thing could get in the way of loving him.


End file.
